A moment of Peace.

Sometimes when I hear the sound of a flick from my lighter, followed by the slow burning of tobacco, I feel as though I am shortening my own life-span without a second thought. Achieving a short moment of peace as I slowly inhale my cigerette in exchange for an unpredictable future. Smoking has brought me on a long journey since my high school days to UBC and UVic and to my present days at my dream school at ECU. I can still remember the long and silent nights as I watched the stars at night outside my rented room in UVic. How I wished I could escape this world and search for a meaning I longed for. As if someone was reading my mind, I soon recieved my acceptence letter for ECU.

My current days in Granville Island seems like an adventure everytime I travel to the market. Every store I could see as I walked by were always fill with energy and heart. The baker would use his careful techniques to shape the beard, the lady would be cooking hot chestnuts outside in a cart, people carrying crates of fruit into the market.

It was another wet and rainy day as I went on my usual routine of walking to the market during my break to buy a pack of cigerettes. However, I could hear a different sound flowing through the air rather than the regular busy market sounds of people or the light rain. I could see the sounds have created a calm atmosphere in the marketplace. As I proceed to buy my pack of cigerettes and exited the store, I saw the source of the sound. It was an elderly man dressed in formal with a guitar, singing. I captured this moment as it appeared to be like a painting to me, a painting that projected smooth music and calm singing with raindrops in the background. As I watched him, I flicked my lighter and burned my cigerette. I felt as if time suddenly slowed down so I could enjoy and observe this very moment as the rain gently hit the ground while the smoke twisted and turned as I exhaled slowly, making sure I don’t blow too quickly watching the man play his tune while he smiled and sang. It was as if the plants had ears of their own and danced to the music while birds came to sing along.

At this instant moment, this man gave me the answer I’ve been looking for. Through playing music and singing for others to enjoy is what gives him the moment of peace. It doesn’t matter if the world was coming to an end, but as long as we can achieve that moment of peace whenever we reach for it, we have already fufilled a small part of our life journey. A moment of peace.